7/9/2006 - Lots of Sex Today

Date: July 9, 2006
Dive Location: Hawthorne Reef and Christmas Tree Cove
Buddy(ies): Jeff Shaw, Jon Davies and Frank O'Donnell
Time: 9:49 and 12:36
Bottom Time: 34 and 40 minutes
Max Depth: 86' and 38'
Vis: 15-20'
Wave height: 2-3'
Temp at depth: 52-54F
Comments: We took the Good Ship No Name to Hawthorne Reef this morning. Jeff discovered Jeff's Cave. Fortunately the name fit. It is a 15-20 foot room with a back door large enough for Jeff to swim through. I found a dozen Cuthona divae nudis but the pictures were all out of focus.
After looking unsuccessfully for the Marineland Platform we headed to Christmas Tree Cove. I told Jeff about the nice overhangs there. When we dropped down I looked under the first one and found a Hopkin's Rose nudibranch. There was a lot of sex and egg laying going on today. Vis was down a bit and it was surgy but there was a lot to see.

Sea Hare Orgy

Spanish Shawl laying eggs

Wart neck Piddock

Tailing Sea Lemons with Blue ringtop snail above them

Octopus

C-O Sole

Green anemone

Monterey dorid

Hopkin's Rose

Copper Rockfish